The present invention relates generally to the field of underground boring and, more particularly, to a system and method of altering operation of an underground boring system, including disabling drill string movement and fluid flow through the drill string, from a location remote from the boring system.
Horizontal drilling machines are routinely used for installing a wide variety of utilities underground, without the need for digging a trench and disrupting the ground surface. These machines, and associated methods of use, result in the drilling machine being located a significant distance from the terminating end of its associated drill string, typically several hundred feet, and in certain cases thousands of feet. This trenchless technique for installing utilities is especially useful in areas where ground conditions are congested, and thus it is not unusual for the terminating end of the drill string to be out of the line of sight of the drilling machine.
A typical horizontal drilling process involves the production of a pilot bore, wherein the drill string is advanced from an entry point along a predetermined bore path to an exit point. The process includes significant rotational power and significant thrust force applied to the drill string. In addition, a significant amount of fluid is typically pumped through the drill string to aid in the cutting process.
At the exit point, the drill string is directed out of the ground, the originally installed drill bit is removed, and a reamer and swivel are installed. The swivel is attached to the drill string on one end and to the product being installed on the other end. Once these connections are made, the drilling machine retracts the drill string while rotating to provide final sizing of the hole, while at the same time pulling-in the product.
Systems that provide remote control of mobile equipment are known in the industry for remotely controlling many types of equipment. These include remote control of cranes, remote control of some agricultural equipment, etc. Such systems have also been developed for horizontal directional drilling machines. These systems generally utilize one-way communication, typically by use of a transmitter in a remote unit held by the operator stationed near the termination end of the drill string, wherein the drilling machine includes a receiver. A suggested approach to addressing the potential hazards facing operators at the exit location of a bore involves the use of a device that permits a worker at the exit location to terminate advancement or rotation of the drill string/cutting head. Although such an approach would appear to allow the operator to terminate drill string/cutting head advancement and/or rotation, this and other known approaches to addressing the problem of unintended drill string/cutting head movement at the exit location fail to provide unambiguous assurance to the operator at the exit location that the instruction to terminate drill string/cutting head advancement/rotation has been received by the drilling machine.
Such conventional and suggested approaches also fail to provide unambiguous assurance to the operator at the exit location that the steps required to disable drill string/cutting head advancement/rotation at the drilling machine have been successfully completed. Further, such conventional and suggested approaches fail to provide unambiguous assurance to the worker that all drill string/cutting head advancement/rotation will remain disabled, particularly in circumstances where the drilling machine engine is intentionally or unintentionally shut-off and then turned-on or where communication connectivity between the operator and the drilling machine is suspect or lost. Moreover, the potential hazard of dispensing high-pressure drilling fluid at the exit location remains unaddressed by such conventional and suggested approaches.
There exists a need in the excavation industry for an apparatus and methodology for preventing drill string/cutting head movement and, in addition, disabling cutting fluid flow by an operator situated remotely from the drilling machine. There exists the further need for such an apparatus and methodology that provides unambiguous assurance to the operator that all drill string/cutting head movement and fluid flow will remain disabled until such time as there is intentional re-enabling of the drilling machine for normal operation. There exists yet an additional need for such an apparatus and methodology that prevents unintended shutdown of machine operation under circumstances in which machine disablement is neither requested nor appropriate. The present invention fulfills these and other needs.
The present invention is directed to a system and method for remotely altering operation of a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) machine through use of a remote lock-out signaling protocol. According to system embodiments of the present invention, a remote lock-out system is employed with a drilling machine which includes a control system, a driving apparatus coupled to a drill string, and a cutting head or reamer coupled to the drill string. The remote lock-out system includes a remote lock-out override controller capable of interrupting a drilling operation of the drilling machine. The remote lock-out override controller includes a transmitter and a receiver. The system also includes a remote lock-out controller is capable of issuing a lock-out signal and a run signal, wherein the lock-out signal, when received by the HDD machine, initiates suspension of the HDD machine drilling operation, and the run signal initiates enablement of the HDD machine drilling operation. The remote lock-out controller includes a transmitter and a receiver. The HDD machine drilling operation generally includes displacing and rotating the drill string, and can further include supplying a drilling fluid through the drill string.
In one implementation, the signal transmitted by the remote lock-out override controller is utilized as a handshake signal by the remote lock-out controller. In one approach, the drilling machine operation is enabled only if the handshake signal is detected as between the remote lock-out override controller and remote lock-out controller. In another approach, the remote lock-out controller does not indicate a lock-out condition unless the handshake signal generated by the remote lock-out override controller is continuously received by the remote lock-out controller. In a further approach, the remote lock-out controller does not indicate a run condition unless the handshake signal is repeatedly received by the remote lock-out controller. In yet another approach, the remote lock-out override controller transmits a notification signal to the remote lock-out controller and the HDD machine remains in a current operating state in response to loss of lock-out signal detection by the remote lock-out override controller. The current operating state can be one of a lock-out state or a run state.
In one configuration, each of the remote lock-out override controller and remote lock-out controller is embodied as a module separate from the control system of the HDD machine. The remote lock-out override controller includes an interface for communicatively coupling to the HDD machine control system. Alternatively, the remote lock-out override controller is integrated as part of the control system of the HDD machine.
In accordance with another embodiment, a system for remotely altering operation of a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) system includes a remote lock-out controller capable of transmitting a lock-out signal or a run signal, and a remote lock-out override module capable of controlling primary and secondary power transmission components of the horizontal drilling system. At least one sensor on the drilling machine is capable of providing input that corresponds to transmission of power to the drill string or mud system. The remote lock-out override module disrupts power transmission to the drill string by disabling the primary power transmission system upon receiving a lock-out request indicative of a lock-out state from the remote lock-out controller, and transmits a verification signal only after the sensor indicates an absence of power transfer. The remote lock-out override module continues to monitor the sensor while in the lock-out state and disrupts power transmission to the drill string by the secondary power transmission system if the sensor indicates a subsequent transfer of power while still in the lock-out state. According to one implementation, the primary power transmission system includes a hydraulic power system, and the secondary power transmission system includes an internal combustion engine.
According to another embodiment, a remote lock-out system for a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) system includes a remote lock-out controller comprising a transceiver for transmitting and receiving radio communications. A remote lock-out override module is capable of controlling power transmission components of the HDD system. The remote lock-out override module includes a transceiver for transmitting and receiving radio communications and a manual override switch. The remote lock-out system continuously monitors for radio communication between the remote lock-out controller and the remote lock-out override module at start-up and prevents operation of the drilling machine until the radio communication is established or until an override state is initiated in response to actuation of the manual override switch. The remote lock-out system automatically terminates the override state when the radio communication is established, such that the remote lock-out controller initiates a drilling machine lock-out even if the drilling machine were previously set into an override state.
In accordance with a further embodiment, a remote lock-out system for a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) system includes a remote lock-out controller comprising indicators capable of indicating to the operator various conditions including normal run mode, lock-out mode, loss of radio communication, and failure to respond to lock-out. The remote lock-out controller further includes a transceiver for facilitating bidirectional communications with the control system of the HDD system, a run switch for initiating run logic of the control system, and a lock-out switch for initiating lock-out logic of the control system. Actuation of the lock-out switch initiates lock-out logic for interrupting power transmission to the drilling machine. For example, actuation of the lock-out switch initiates lock-out logic for interrupting power transmission to the drilling machine via a primary power transmission system in accordance with first lock-out logic and for interrupting power transmission to the drilling machine via a secondary power transmission system in accordance with second lock-out logic.
According to another embodiment, a method for remotely altering operation of a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) machine involves continuously monitoring for radio communication between a remote lock-out controller and a remote lock-out override module at HDD machine start-up, wherein the remote lock-out override module is communicatively coupled to a control system of the HDD machine. The method further involves preventing operation of the drilling machine until the radio communication is established or until an override state is initiated in response to actuation of a manual override switch, and automatically terminating the override state when the radio communication is established, such that a drilling machine lock-out is initiated even if the drilling machine were previously set into an override state. A handshake signaling protocol can be employed to establish the radio communication.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. Advantages and attainments, together with a more complete understanding of the invention, will become apparent and appreciated by referring to the following detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.